Wednesday, December 22, 2010

We thought of you with love today but that is nothing newWe thought about you yesterdayand days before that tooWe think of you in silence we often speak your nameNow all we have are memoriesand your picture in a frameYour memory is our keepsake with which we'll never partGod has you in his keepingwe have you in our heart.

Friday, December 17, 2010

BLACKFOOT — Today marks Bingham County Deputy Larry Christian's 60th birthday, his last day of work in the Bingham County Jail and almost the beginning of his retirement. Christian is the first person who started his career working in the Bingham County Jail and retired from that same facility."I love my job," Christian said. "It's a good fit for me."Christian started in law enforcement after someone stole a pair of boots from his store, the Hirsch Value Center, located by White Eagle."I ran after him, dragged him by his feet out of the bar and took off the boots," Christian said.The policeman who responded asked if I had dragged the guy out of the bar and suggested I should consider going into law enforcement.Christian's store was "a lot like Beall's," Hirsch Value Center, became Falk's ID before the company went belly up. Christian had the store 13 years.His sojourn into law enforcement started as part of the city reserve where he worked for six-and-one-half years."I started working in the jail in August 1987, after the new courthouse was completed," he said.Christian has served under four sheriffs— Leroy Nelson, John Cowley, Doyle Holm and Dave Johnson—and been in four different positions. He has worked in the jail for 23 years 4 months.Christian has worked with the Short Stop program since it started here In 1994. Short Stop is for first-time juvenile offenders from ages 11 to 18."I mentor them so they will grow up and become adults that don't get into trouble," Christian said.Classes meet for three hours on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month."Mine's the uncomfortable [class]," Christian said. "I explain what they can expect if they go to jail."I use the experiences I've had," he said. "I don't lie to them.""I make their parents uncomfortable but I tell them, 'your kids picked this situation.'"Eight to 14 kids are in the Short Stop program each month.Short Stop is a franchised program started in Orange County, Calif., in 1981. Bannock, Bingham and Bonneville counties purchased the program. Bannock and Bingham are still using the program.Christian has known successes through the program. One young man is attending ISU, wanting to work with the Forest Service. Another works in Washington state in computers/graphics art for Disney."It's been a nice run working for the sheriff's program," Christian said.Christian has worked as a sergeant twice, both up and down on his way to being a lieutenant. He was the jail administrator for a number of years and has worked the past five or six years as a transport officer.Last week, he brought a prisoner from Georgia; two weeks ago, he was in Las Vegas transporting a prisoner to Bingham County."I say I'm on work release," Christian said. "I work and, at the end of the day, they release me."You need to learn to be able to walk away from work," he said. "Don't bring problems home."It's like wearing a coat in the jail; at night, take the coat off."You develop a warped sense of humor to keep you going," Christian said."It's a great job," he said. "There's no lack of employment; no lay-offs and you really have to screw up to get canned."Bingham County Prosecuting Attorney Scott Andrew said, "Larry is always reliable in terms of getting our people here; he has worked really well transporting people who are mentally ill."It does make a difference how people are transported," Andrew said. "Larry lends a calming effect to people who are in less than ideal circumstances. I'll miss his reliability, his calm demeanor and his working with kids in Short Stop.""He's done an excellent job," said Sheriff Johnson. "He has a lot of knowledge and experience; he will be hard to replace."He's been a good employee," Johnson said. "He's going to be missed.""I love my job; it's going to be hard [to retire] but it's time," said Christian.

In Blackfoot, Christian is perhaps better known as Santa Claus.

He has been portraying the jolly fellow for 47 or 48 years."I've been through five or six Santa outfits," Christian said. He has appeared as Santa at family parties, churches, in the jail and juvenile detention. He's also traveled to other locations to be Santa.

He is active in the Masons and for the past 10 years, he has been part of the Blackfoot Community Players. He was also an associate guardian for Job's Daughters for a number of years.

Christian and his wife, Clyde, have a son and daughter and five grandchildren.

Ingredients16 ounces cream cheese1/2 teaspoon garlic salt1/2 teaspoon onion powder10 raisins for eyes, mouth, and buttons1 piece of carrot for the nose4 crackers for the hat (we used Ritz and Dare water crackers)1 thyme sprig for the hat (optional)Strips of carrot for the scarf2 broken pretzels for the arms1 (1/2-inch) piece of a canned baby corn for the pipeToothpick for the pipe

InstructionsIn a large bowl, let the cream cheese soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Stir in the garlic salt and the onion powder, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.Make the snowman by rolling two thirds of the cheese into a ball for his body and the other third into a ball for his head. Stack the balls, then add the facial features, clothing, arms, and pipe as shown. Serve with crackers or mini bagels.

InstructionsMix the dried dill, garlic powder, and salt into the softened cream cheese.Pack the mixture into a rectangular container lined with plastic wrap (you can reuse the cream cheese box).Refrigerate it for at least 3 hours. Before serving time, set the unwrapped block of cheese on a platter and decorate it with a scallion bow and red pepper polka dots and gift tag.

Monday, December 13, 2010

As pictured: Fudge icing, large marshmallows, Karo syrup (light colored), Rolos, mini Oreos, some black and orange confetti sprinkles (I have some left over from Halloween), and white sparkling sugar. You'll need some wood skewers and a clean paintbrush, and I also added a few things at the end of the project -- toothpicks and mini marshmallows.

Step 1: Take your large marshmallow and with a clean paintbrush, brush some Karo syrup all around the side of the marshmallow

Step 2: Now roll your marshmallow in the white sparkling sugar and set aside. Repeat these 2 steps for all of your marshmallows -- you'll need 3 marshmallows per snowman.

Step 3: Now it's time to add on the cutie pie face. Using your paint brush, dot the back of your confetti sprinkles with a touch of Karo syrup and then apply to your sugared marshmallow.

Step 4: Next, skewer 3 marshmallows together on your wood skewer to make a snowman.

Step 5: Now for the hat. Pry apart your mini Oreo cookie and use the side without the creme attached. With a butter knife, apply a small amount of fudge icing to your Oreo, unwrap a Rolo candy and press it onto your iced cookie.

Step 6: Making the arms. Now take a toothpick and press it through the side of your middle marshmallow on your snowman. Add 2 mini marshmallows at the ends of your toothpick for hands.And that's all! Quick, cute snowman treats! Great for a fun after school project or even a class holiday party. With little ones, you could even have the pieces of the snowman made first and then let them put them together and add the hat and arms.

I know you've heard of Christmas cookies and Christmas carols, but have you ever heard of the Christmas code?It just may be that the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is really about more than partridges and golden rings.

For nearly three hundred years, it was against the law in England to be a member of the Catholic church. Well, that didn't keep Catholic parents from wanting to teach their children about God, but in order to do so they had to be creative.And here is where we leave the world of certain history and move into the misty realm of legends. As the story goes, several of these concerned parents got together and wrote "The Twelve Days of Christmas." They used a secret code hidden in the song to teach their children about the things of God.

Let me crack the code for you!

"My true love" represents God, who gives all the gifts listed in the song."A partridge in a pear tree" is Jesus, who gave His life on a tree (the cross)."Two turtle doves" symbolize the Old and New Testaments."Three French hens" are faith, hope, and love."Four calling birds" speak of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke , and John."Five golden rings" correspond to the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch."Six geese a-laying" stand for the six days of creation."Seven swans a-swimming" are the seven gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:6-8)."Eight maids a-milking" point to the eight beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)."Nine ladies dancing" signify the nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)."Ten lords a-leaping" represent the Ten Commandments."Eleven pipers piping" are the eleven faithful disciples. And finally..."Twelve drummers drumming" call to mind the twelve points of the Apostle's Creed.Learning this song would help the children remember some important facts about Christianity. Best of all, they could sing it publicly! When they did, they declared their allegiance to the King of kings.